You will need to sign on with your LLLID (La Leche League ID) before you can post. If you have never claimed your LLLID, create your LLLID now. To sign in, click the LLLID Sign On button in the upper right corner. Enter your LLLID Alias and click the button again.

Physiological or Psychological? Advice?

I can get about 11 oz on a good day from pumping at work. At each session, I pump (with compressions) and then hand express as much as I can after that, but it never amounts to more than a half ounce. My son takes 14 oz at daycare (he's there for 9 hours). Sometimes he'll even take an additional 5 oz too while he's there. This is how my freezer stash has dwindled. I started eating oatmeal for breakfast, made lactation cookies, and am going to buy some fenugreek today to give that a try.

Today I only sent him with 2 7 oz bottles. One so he would be hungry when I picked him up and two so I could save the little bit that I have stored.

I gave up breastfeeding my firstborn and I really feel like a let him down. I don't want to fail my second born also, but I don't know if I can give him enough milk. It seems like everyday I get a little less than the day before.

I just cried this morning at the thought of having to supplement with formula. Do you think my stress level effecting my supply or is there something I'm not doing right?

Re: Physiological or Psychological? Advi

How many times a day are you pumping?

Also, 7 ounce bottles?? That is a ton of milk at one time. What if you sent four 3.5 ounce bottles? 14 ounces is really the most he should take considering he's away for 9 hours - between 1 and 1.5 ounces per hour away from you should be enough.

Re: Physiological or Psychological? Advi

First of all, I think your daycare is feeding your son too much. 19oz for 9 hours is A LOT. Guidelines say 1-1.5oz per hour. That would be 9-13.5oz. 14oz is perfectly fine.

Second, if your son is almost 4 months old I would send smaller bottles. 7oz is a lot to drink. Many breastfed babies never drink that much. My girls drank 6oz bottles around 6 months or so (although we have lowered back to 4oz). I would send three 4oz bottles and another 2oz backup bottle.

Are you nursing before you leave? Right when you get home? Is there a way you can nurse over lunch to eliminate a bottle?

how often are you pumping at work and for how long? Are you pumping until the milk stops, and then for a few more minutes?

I know firsthand how frustrating it can be. You are doing great!!!!

Stress can certainly affect your production. It can affect a letdown, as letdown to a pump is not as easy as to your baby. Do you have a quiet place to pump? I find that I enjoy looking at photos and videos of my children while pumping, it relaxes me and helps pump more.

Full time working Mom to 3, DH is my hero as a SAHD:
DS July'09, nursed for 12 weeks
DD1 & DD2 April'11, tandem nursed for 16 months

Re: Physiological or Psychological? Advi

I thought so too, but I was going on what the pediatrician said. He didn't say anything about 1.5 oz per hour away. Thank you so much!! He told me that wasn't gaining weight fast enough so I thought I wasn't feeding him enough at daycare. Prior to my going back to work we were doing fantastic.

Re: Physiological or Psychological? Advi

First of all, I think your daycare is feeding your son too much. 19oz for 9 hours is A LOT. Guidelines say 1-1.5oz per hour. That would be 9-13.5oz. 14oz is perfectly fine.

Second, if your son is almost 4 months old I would send smaller bottles. 7oz is a lot to drink. Many breastfed babies never drink that much. My girls drank 6oz bottles around 6 months or so (although we have lowered back to 4oz). I would send three 4oz bottles and another 2oz backup bottle.

Are you nursing before you leave? Right when you get home? Is there a way you can nurse over lunch to eliminate a bottle?

how often are you pumping at work and for how long? Are you pumping until the milk stops, and then for a few more minutes?

I know firsthand how frustrating it can be. You are doing great!!!!

Stress can certainly affect your production. It can affect a letdown, as letdown to a pump is not as easy as to your baby. Do you have a quiet place to pump? I find that I enjoy looking at photos and videos of my children while pumping, it relaxes me and helps pump more.

I nurse in the morning and right when I get home plus on all weekend. Nursing over lunch wouldn't work because of distance, but that would be great if I could. At work I pump at 10am, 12:30, and 3pm. I pump until the milk slows to a drip and then hand express as much as I can after that. I do have a private room to pump in at work which is helpful too.

Re: Physiological or Psychological? Advi

Mama it only sounds like you are missing the mark by about 1-3 oz a day at the most. You should NEVER feed your baby more than 14oz on 9hours and even then it should be more smaller bottles. A bottle fed baby learns to drink until a bottle is gone but a breastfed baby never NEEDS 7oz! So I would in 3-4oz bottles at the most and see if you can find another pumping session a day and maybe add one in both days of the weekend when you are home and exclusively feeding to rebuild your freezer supply. Like maybe pump 1st thing in the morning? A lot of women get a great yield then. Pumping is tedious work. But don't feel like you are failing. You are doing great. DO NOT send more than 14oz a day and push back if your DCP says anything about it. I think more smaller bottles will really help! Good luck!

Re: Physiological or Psychological? Advi

with all the other posters - at 4 months I was just going from 3 oz. per bottle to 4 oz. with my daughter. My pediatrician told me something crazy like 2 oz. + 1 oz per month, but that was just wrong. At 17 months Emily still only takes 4 oz. per bottle - sometimes not even quite that.

It was really hard for me when I started back to work - it takes a while to get into a rhythm with the pump and get used to it - I dipped in to my itty bitty freezer stash right away, too. Every time I would stress that I was going to have to break into that sample newborn formula they pushed on me I would forgive myself, accept it and then proceed to make just enough milk to get by without it. I'll admit, I had to supplement a bit during growth spurts because EPing doesn't crank up production the way that nursing does...

Re: Physiological or Psychological? Advi

Troubleshoot your pump too. Are your horns the right size? Are the membranes new? Could you rent a hospital grade pump to stimulate supply? Just those little things might be enough to make up the difference.

Your DCP is overfeeding. Period. 1 to 1.5 oz per hour is what a BF baby needs. Most babies take it in 2-4 oz increments every 2-4 hours. Your doc is giving you info based on FF babies, and the AAP has also said even a FF baby should never get more than 6 oz at a time.

Re: Physiological or Psychological? Advi

Thank you so much for all the replies and encouragement! I pumped this morning and got 7oz! I sent him with 3 4oz bottles and 1 2.5oz backup today. I didn't have to dip into my freezer supply to do that! Thank you all so much!

P.S. I will check out the pump too. The membranes are new, but I might have wrong size on horns.